Beginner workout help

[ajw134]

Hi everyone,

I joined this site a while back and unfortunately did not get started due to injury. After that I have to admit I went downhill and got into bad eating habits and therefore put on weight.

I am really unhappy with the way I look and have started to get ridiculously body conscious.

Now I have a positive mind set to change this and it starts now.

I have read through so many different posts and articles about this is right, this is wrong, do this and do that..
It gets too much after a while.

So I am looking for some friendly faces to help me along the way and starting off with a beginners 3 day week full body workout. I think that would be the right option for me but please feel free to add any suggestions to an alternative.

If anyone could help with a routine please comment below.

Look forward to hearing from you.

[rsid97]

What're your goals? What's your weight like now? Are you trying to cut or bulk? Are you fully recovered from the injury and what was it?

Full body routines are indeed the way to go. Here are a few options for you - Stronglifts 5x5 or Fierce 5 novice. If you're trying to cut then All pros is a good option too.

As for diet you'll want to use a TDEE calculator online to find your maintenance calories (basically how much you need to maintain your current weight). If you're wanting to cut then go about 250 calories less than that value, and if you're bulking you'll be going 250 calories above that value. Aside from that, try to aim for 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight.

[ajw134]

Thanks for the reply rsid97

I am currently 5"11 and weigh 231lbs roughly. I am quite big built so I wear the weight well if that makes sense? ..

I get a bit lost with goals.. Overall my main goal is to look better lose the fat and build the muscle?

I am not interested in putting on mass muscle and becoming bodybuilder size but the male model example this site gives as a very rough guide I guess.

I ruptured the ligament in both my ankles and also suffered from back pain.. Nothing major I guess but I had to stop the sports I enjoyed and then got lazy and did nothing for a long time.
I got comfortable and had children and just got into the bad habits. There were more reasons as to why I got into a negative mind set but that is part of it.

My back is fine now and my ankles are always going to be weaker than they were but I am recovered.

[daudi81]

Hi everyone,

I joined this site a while back and unfortunately did not get started due to injury. After that I have to admit I went downhill and got into bad eating habits and therefore put on weight.

I am really unhappy with the way I look and have started to get ridiculously body conscious.

Now I have a positive mind set to change this and it starts now.

I have read through so many different posts and articles about this is right, this is wrong, do this and do that..
It gets too much after a while.

So I am looking for some friendly faces to help me along the way and starting off with a beginners 3 day week full body workout. I think that would be the right option for me but please feel free to add any suggestions to an alternative.

If anyone could help with a routine please comment below.

Look forward to hearing from you.

There's no magic bullet here. Just do what has been proven to work.

I'll make it easy for ya:

Step 1) Get on a beginner program off the forum. I recommend Fierce 5 which just so happens to be a 3day/week full body program (what you were looking for, perfect). You can find it in the stickie section. Read the FAQ, follow the program and progression / reset protocol as outlined in the instructions. Don't overcomplicate it, just follow the program. Apps make it stupidly simple and easy to track progress, resets, etc (I use one called Strong).

Step 2) Read the stickies in the nutrition section. (Figure out your TDEE, figure out how much weight and how fast you want to lose it and the calorie / macro requirements to accomplish it - it's all in the nutrition stickie section). Spend 30 minutes to soak in the info, that's really all it takes to figure it out.

Step 3) Get an app like MyFitnessPal to track your calories / intake / macros / etc. Take the whopping 3 minutes per day to fill it out. Again, apps make it stupidly simple to do this.

Step 4) Take pictures of your progress to keep you motivated.

Be patient, work hard, and be consistent. Don't overcomplicate things, or over-obsess about a lagging muscle group or that you didn't hit your macros one day. Keep on truckin' and you'll hit your goals.

[ajw134]

Daudi81 thanks very much for your reply.

I will have a look at that and all the apps you have mentioned.

Taking pictures sounds horrible but I can see how it can keep you motivated if you start to see improvement.

[RichardDuchon]

Couldn’t say it better

[ajw134]

So I was just reading up on Fierce 5 workout plan and on there it says that this is for bulking?

I am not sure that is what I want to do, this is where I get confused haha.

Bulk to me means put on weight and get bigger. I think I want to do the opposite? Lose weight but tone/build the muscle?

Sorry if that is a stupid question...

[daudi81]

Cutting is more about your diet, not necessarily the workout program you choose. A lot of people cut on Fierce 5 and are very successful. You can bulk/cut on any program really.

You're not going to be able to put on much muscle while you're cutting anyway, it's more about retaining the muscle you do have (to oversimplify it). Forget about tone concept. There is muscle, there's fat over that muscle. The "tone" your thinking about is just less fat over the muscle. You lose fat when you cut, you gain muscle when you bulk. There's some overlap for those just starting out, or overweight, but it doesn't last long.

Taking pictures isn't necessary but helps with motivation.

[ajw134]

Ah ok thanks for clearing that up for me.

Looks like I will be downloading the apps taking some pictures and starting the programme.

Thanks everyone for your help with this.

[daudi81]

Good luck. Don't be afraid to ask questions on the Fierce 5 thread. There's a "comprehensive" Fierce 5 thread that isn't stickied but easy to find, and not locked (the novice thread is locked).

[daawhitty]

At that weight and height you need to loose 50lb to get down to an acceptable body fat. If you commit to it you will turn yourself around. Train 3/4 times a week and track your calories. Aim for 2 lbs a week don’t worry that you need to bulk to progress you don’t. You’ve already got the muscle your body couldn’t drag itself around at that weight without effectively bulking off your spare tyre..

Do it know there is no time like the present.

[ajw134]

Thanks for the help everyone. I had my first workout last night and it went pretty well. I took some pictures and recorded everything I did so I can watch my progress. I am meant to be going tomorrow but I am not able to, my next workout will have to be Thursday night. Does it matter that I have missed a day following the Fierce 5 workout? It says to go Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

[SuffolkPunch]

It doesn't matter. Ideally it's 3 non consecutive days a week - but if you have the occasional back to back day it's not a big deal. The main thing is that you put the work in

[Mozartsmadness]

Here is SL 5x5 and the lv 1 from the encyclopedia of modern bodybuilding. Buy the book
Put the weight you lift in the first week of the file and it will do all the math for you.
Happy lifting.